He would take all the expense of transport on himself; and he proceeded to demonstrate the certain profit of the transaction.
"But," said the baron, "how comes it that the present proprietor does not carry out this profitable scheme himself ?" Ehrenthal shrugged his shoulders.

"He who means to speculate must not always inquire the reason of bargains.

An embarrassed man can not wait two or three months; the river is at present frozen, and he wants the money in two or three days." "Are you sure that his right to sell is incontestable ?" "I know the man to be safe," was the reply; "and that, if I pay him this evening, the wood is mine." Now it was painful to the baron, much as he wanted money, to turn the embarrassment of another to his own profit; and he said, "I consider it unfair to reckon upon what is certain loss to the seller." "Why should it be certain loss ?" cried Ehrenthal.

"He is a speculator--he wants money; perhaps he has a greater bargain still in his eye.

He has offered me the whole quantity of wood for ten thousand dollars, and I have no business to inquire whether he can or can not make more of my money than I of his wood." And so far Ehrenthal was right; but this was not all.